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HARTFORD — Despite continuing frustration by some commuters and many Fairfield County lawmakers, the state can't simply replace Metro-North as its commuter train operator, state Transportation Commissioner James Redeker said Wednesday. "The New Haven Line is the busiest rail line in the country," Redeker told the General Assembly's transportation committee. "It's probably the most complex [commuter rail] service in the whole country. We have to be very cautious and careful." Numerous legislators from southwestern Connecticut communities say their constituents are unhappy with slow, unreliable service from Metro-North, and are eager to see the...

Related "Railway Transportation" Articles

HARTFORD — Despite continuing frustration by some commuters and many Fairfield County lawmakers, the state can't simply replace Metro-North as its commuter train operator, state Transportation Commissioner James Redeker said Wednesday.
"The New...

Following the Metro-North wreck in Valhalla, N.Y., that killed six people, a congressman from New York is proposing that the federal government spend $400 million over the next four years to redesign some high-volume railroad grade crossings.
Rep. Sean...

A new federal report from the investigation into Metro-North's 2013 derailment in Bridgeport concludes that bolts on the railroad's brand-new M-8 cars are too weak.
The National Transportation Safety Board is recommending that Metro-North replace...

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Two Metro-North derailments in New York have renewed concerns among federal regulators over the commuter railroad's focus on safety.
No one was injured after trains left the tracks at Grand Central Terminal and White Plains, New...

Now that the CTfastrak bus rapid-transit project between New Britain and Hartford is three months from its scheduled opening — and on schedule — the subject seems to come up at every holiday party. "What do you think about the busway?"...

With derailments, near accidents and safety lapses occurring at railroads in numerous states, Sen. Richard Blumenthal predicts that senators from all regions of the country — and both political parties — will embrace his proposal for reforming domestic...

NEW HAVEN — Ridership this year on Shore Line East appears on course to meet or exceed 2013's levels, and the state intends to continue recent service expansions through 2015.
With extra trains for the midsummer Sailfest in New London, Shore Line East...

Though much attention has been aimed at Connecticut's transportation deficiencies in the last couple of years, there are a few good stories. One is Shore Line East, the commuter rail service that runs between New Haven and New London.
As The Courant's...

With the fast-approaching mix of heavy holiday traffic and the potentially significant snowfall, Amtrak and The Travelers Cos are offering tips to make holiday travel safer and less stressful.
Amtrak riders are advised to leave a little extra time to...

A federal safety agency reported Tuesday that operational blunders and lax policies at Metro-North were at least partly to blame for the crashes that killed two workers and four passengers and injured 126 riders last year and this spring.The National...

Is the country suffering from a crisis of competence?
Examples abound, from the botched implementation of the Affordable Care Act to the initial mishandling of Ebola patients in Texas. In that vein comes the National Transportation Safety Board's...

NEW HAVEN — Two groups of transportation planners from the Northeast will conduct meetings this week about a pair of regional projects that could improve Connecticut residents' train service to Boston, Montreal, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington,...

The state will come up with the extra $188 million needed to replace the decrepit Norwalk River railroad bridge, but the new span won't be in place until 2020, officials announced Thursday.
Leaving the 118-year-old bridge to continue deteriorating...

HARTFORD — Connecticut State Police will increase their presence at Metro-North and Amtrak rail lines along with Bradley International Airport, but it is not in response to a specific credible threat, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced Thursday.
Officials...

The summer ended with more bad news from Metro-North.
The beleaguered railroad said Connecticut's costs for commuter rail service could jump 60 percent this year because of new labor contracts. This followed a string of miscues, track failures and tragic...

Even though Norwalk's balky Walk Bridge has brought the country's busiest commuter railroad to a standstill several times, the Federal Transit Administration on Wednesday gave Connecticut less than half of what the state sought to replace it.
The state...

Metro-North's on-time performance improved dramatically in August, surpassing the railroad's goal for the first time all year.
The railroad classified 95.6 percent of trains on the heavily used New Haven line as "on time," meaning they...

Jeanne Davies enjoys the world of transportation and "connecting the dots." But those dots get a little blurred when they run along the banks of the Connecticut River on the abandoned Valley Railroad.As principal planner and deputy director...

MANCHESTER — Courant reporters 95 years ago figured prominently in the investigation of a bungled heist, playing a role that would be highly improbable today.
In the case of The Great Silk Robbery, the "Courant Men," as they were called in...

In a drive to make spring a turnaround season for their troubled railroad, Metro-North senior managers are stepping up the pace of safety improvements and conducting a "listening tour" to hear complaints firsthand from commuters.
Staffers...